By Mal Butler
Yarmouth Town Council has appointed a tree warden to stop someone cutting back trees in the ‘Local Heroes Apple Orchard’, without permission.
Town Mayor, Debbie McCleary, believes the trees which were planted around 12 years ago on The Mount, overlooking the sea, have been deliberately targeted to prevent them from growing.
The trees are dedicated to local organisations and people who have contributed to the town over the course of more than a century.
Among them are trees, planted by locals, dedicated to all from Yarmouth and Thorley who served with the Crown military forces, the first Lifeboat crew, Brownies and their leaders over the years, and the Yarmouth Malcontents of 1877, for preserving the right of way to ‘Pier Shore’ and to remember their actions to establish and to celebrate democratic elections.
Cllr Thomas Cowley will be the new tree warden, and Debbie said: “It has been going on for a couple of years. Someone has deliberately been cutting them to keep them low.
“Whoever is doing it is not pruning them but hacking them back. It’s upsetting for everyone who has been involved in the project, especially the local community and those connected with the trees.”
IW Observer gardening expert, Darren Everest, said: “They should be much bigger after 12 years and should resemble a wine glass in appearance, as in, open in the middle to allow circulation and to keep the growth outwards to make picking the apples easier.”
Press Release